BINGLE'S BLOODY WELL BACK

Famed for her beach babe looks, Lara Bingle has spent the past tumultuous year in what sometimes felt like an out-of-body experience.

Struggling through a dark period after breaking up with rugby union player Danny Cipriani late last year, the model piled on the pounds as she nursed a broken heart.

But, thanks to a healthy eating and exercise regime, 25-year-old Bingle says she feels "in control" and ready to launch a new business venture.

"I've been quite large and now I feel like I am in my body," Bingle told The Sunday Telegraph. "Before I felt like I was forever fighting, eating like a rabbit, for what? Now, I enjoy a healthy and active lifestyle. I am loving life."

Bingle plans to emulate supermodel Elle Macpherson's global lingerie empire and launch her own line next year.

"I definitely believe it is going to be as big as Elle Macpherson's ... It's the right time," she said.

Bingle rose to prominence, aged 18, when she was chosen from obscurity to star in Tourism Australia's $180 million global campaign "So Where The Bloody Hell Are You?" in 2006.

From her broken engagement to Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke to her history of driving offences, her role in a controversial reality TV show and her weight battle, Bingle has endured more than her share of struggles in the spotlight.